Method of treating oil wells and apparatus therefor



R. CONRADER.

METHOD OF TREATING OIL WELLS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED NOV, 15, 1920.

1,481,779. Patented Oct. 10,1922.

Patented Get. 10, 1922.

llAtltWt an FM.

RUDOLPH GOIN'RADER, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

MR'rHon OF TREATING oILwELLs AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Application filed November 15, 1920. SeriaI'No. 424,178.

It is desirable in many. instancesv to re;

tain the pressure on the" oil bearing sands and the controlof this pressure is disturbed v by the entrance of the gases into thegearth formations above the oil bearing sands. On the other hand if thepressureis not con.- trolled it is" necessary.-to.-"d' charge the excess-v as the pressure exceed f -determined pressure. Consequently i a desired, to

use .a as this ordinarily woilldrequire-stor- 5 age. n the presentinventionthe oil bear; ing sand is separated from the restv of the well and is maintained under pressure-and the excess gases are discharged tothat part of the well separated from the sand so that the earth formations and the other parts of the well form the storage for the gases. The invention also involves apparatus for accompli'shing this purpose and features incidental thereto.

i with the apparatus in The invention is illustrated inthe-accompanying drawings as followszf -Fig. 1 shows a central sectionof a well place adapted to carry out the method. Q

Fig. 2 a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 a section on the line 44 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 a section on the line 5-.5 in Fig. 2. 1 marks the oil bearing sand in Which the cavity 2 is formed, 3 the earth formations above the oil bearing sand, 4 the casing arranged in the well, 5 the casing head, 6 the strainer tube, 7 the standing valve on which the strainer is attached, 8 the working barrel, 9 the pump plunger, 10 the tubing, 11 the sucker rod, 12 the walking beam operating on the sucker rod; 13 a fuel discharge from the tubing, and 14a gland having a packing 15 for packing the tubing in the casing head cap 15; These may be of OI'dlnary construction. A packer 16 formed of rubber has the uper cap 17 into which a tubing 18 is screwed. he tube 18 is connected by a coupling 19 with the tubing 10 and extends telescopically through the lower cap 20. A supporting a spring 37 operates.

tube 22 extends from the cap 20 downwardly and rests on the bottom of the well. It has the openings 23 permitting the inflow of oil so as .to reach the strainer. It will readily be seen that as the packer and material is lowered into the well and the supporting tube reaches the bottom that the the tubing on the cap 17-is delivered to the packing rubber thus expanding it and forcingit into close contact with the walls of the well. thus makinga closure above the oil bearing sands. It is difficult ordinarily to remove packers of this type because the lifting force is applied to the bottom of the packer and consequently whatever resistance there is to lifting tends to further expand the packing. I, therefore, secure the packer directly to the upper plate and lift the upper plate thus tending to stretch the packer rather than compress it as it is lifted. The packer is pI'OVldGd. with the perforations 24 through which screws 25 extend. The perforations 24 have the shoulders 26 which are engaged by the shoulders 27, the screws extending into and being secured in the upper plate.

It will be noted that the screws have the. elongated heads which extend through the lower plate so they may be readily .put in place. With this device when the packer is pulled it will be readily seen that the upper plate being moved upwardly carries with it the screws and these operating on the upper part of the packer tend to stretch it so that it may be readily removed.

The as outlet pipe 28 'is carried by upper fiate and extends through the packer and telescopically through the lower plate 20. The gas pipe has a joint fitting 29 adapted to seat in the opening 30 in the plate 17 the plate having a slanting groove 31 guiding the fitting to its seat.v This guiding groove and seat have heretofore been used. The fitting 29 is extended through a pipe 29 to the top of the well extending through the casing head cap, the opening being closed by a gland 32. The discharge gas pipe leads to a valve 33. This valve is provided with a seat 34 on which a disc 35 operates. The disc has a stem 36 on which back through the casing head so as to de- 110 weight of the 90 An adjusting screw liver the gas to the upper portion of the well. The gas is discharged from the casin head through the pipe 42.

In the operation of the well the pre-determined pressure is placed on the well by adjusting the valve 33. When the pressure exceeds this desired pressure the gas is delivered back through the pipe 40 to the upper part of the well and there stored until it is desired to draw it ofl? through the pipe 42. In this way the upper part of the earth formation is used for storage so that the pressure on the oil bearing sand may be maintained as desired and an artificial storage avoided. a

What I claim as new is 1. The method of operating oil wells which consists in retaining pressure onthe oil-bearing sand; separating the oil' sand from another part of the well; and discharging the gas released from the oil sand into the part of they well separated therefrom.

2. The method of operating oil wells which consists in separatin the oil-bearing sand from another part of t e well and discharging the gases from a part of the well having an oil-bearing sand into a part separated therefrom.

3. The method of operating oil wells which consists in retaining a pre-determined pressure on the oil-bearing sand; separating the oil sand from another part of the well; and discharging the gas as released from the oil sand in maintaining its pre-determined pressure in the part of the well separated from the oil sand.

4. In an apparatus for operating oil wells, the combination of a packer; means for lifting oil through the packer; and means for discharging gas from below the packer into the part of the Well above the packer.

5. In an apparatus for operating oil wells, the combination of a packer; means for lifting oil through the packer; and means for discharging gas from below the packer into the part of the well above the packer comprising a pressure. actuated valve for retainin a pre-dete'rmined pressure below the pac er'. 3

6. In an apparatus for operating oil wells, the combination of a packer; an oil pipe leading through the packer to the surface of the well; a gas pipe leading through the packer to the surface of the well; a pressure valve on the gas pipe; and a return connection from the gas pipe to the upper part of the well.

7. In an apparatus for operating oil wells, the combination of a packer; an oil tube extending through the packer to the surface; a gas pipe extending through the packer; and checkvalves in the gas pipe permitting an outflow of liquid through the packer.

8. A packer for oil Wells having top and bottom heads; a connection between the heads permitting relative movement therebetween; a rubber insert; means for securing the upper portion of the rubber insert to the upper head; a base support for the lower plate; and means for lifting the packer acting on the upper plate.

' 9. A packer for oil wells having an upper head; a screw-threaded connection secured thereto; a lower head through which the connection telescopically extends, said connection forming a tube for the discharge of oil; screws securing the upper portion of the packer totthe upper head; and means for lifting the packer applied to the upper head.

10. A packer for oil wells comprising an upper head; a lower head; a tube for oil secured to the upper head and extending telescopically through the lower head; a gas connection secured to the upper head and extending telescopically through the lower head; a gas pipe connected to the gas connection; and an oil tube connected to the oil connection. 1

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. a

' RUDOLPH CONRADER. 

